Questions about the bridge officer

[RB_Kandy]

If the captain leaves the bridge, he must assign someone to "have the bridge" if there is more than one officer holding the same rank. is this true?

When the captain is off the bridge, is the person in charge to be referred to as captain, acting captain, or by their actual rank, by the people under his/her command?

When the captain is off the ship, is the person in charge to be referred to as captain, acting captain, or by their actual rank, by the people under his/her command?

 

[T'Girl]

You might be thinking of the "Officer of the Deck." A ship only has one Captain, and when the Captain leaves the bridge and even leaves the ship (unless relieved) they are still the ship's Captain.

Star Trek seems to use the term "having the conn." When Data would command the third shift (Harry too) he was not the "Captain."

 

[Star Wolf]

Its from naval tradition where even if the captain is around he usually would not have the con, nor would the officer of the deck who would be a shift commander in Starfleet terms, Data at night because he needs no sleep and Riker during the main watch. A junior officer, the helmsman would take care of such mundane task, of what we think of as the con today. The captain would announce he is taking the con if he was issuing maneuvering orders directly instead of suggesting to Sulu what to do. Captain Kirk putting Commander Scott in charge is giving him the deck, the bridge in Trek terms. Sulu would have the con in our contemporary terms, the actual station keeping of Enterprise

 

[RB_Kandy]

But I have heard many times, one of the captains saying "you have the bridge". Mostly from Picard "You have the bridge, Number One." when leaving the bridge.

I also remember something from DS9 where Nog is on the Defiant, and he is told to call Dax "captain" because of some technicality like she was the highest ranking officer on the bridge or ship. Nog makes a comment about he can't wait until this condition applies to him. O'Brien says "Nog, by the time we call you captain, there'd be no one left on the ship."

 

[Star Wolf]

wasn't Dax commanding Defiant while Sisko was the fleet chief of staff and Worf was with the klingons?

 

[RB_Kandy]

wasn't Dax commanding Defiant while Sisko was the fleet chief of staff and Worf was with the klingons?

That might have been the case. But the point is, she was to be called captain, in spite of the fact she was never technically promoted to the rank of captain.

 

[R. Star]

That's because she was the ship's commanding officer then. If Sisko was just below decks, instead of completely reassigned, she wouldn't be called captain.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

wasn't Dax commanding Defiant while Sisko was the fleet chief of staff and Worf was with the klingons?

That might have been the case. But the point is, she was to be called captain, in spite of the fact she was never technically promoted to the rank of captain.

Dax was the ranking officer, in command of the Defiant. Had it been Worf the same probably would have applied. O'Brien explains it as an old naval tradition, where in anyone who is in command is referred to as Captain regardless of rank. It doesn't seem to be a standing regulation, but rather just something that has been carried on (most likely only on human-dominant ships, where such a tradition would be known).

 

[RB_Kandy]

So this wouldn't apply if the captain were on the planet's surface, or if the captain was relieved of duty. It would only apply to the officer who was assigned by Starfleet to command the ship?

 

[T'Girl]

When President John F. Kennedy was a Lieutenant, junior grade during WWII, he was given command of a patrol torpedo boat, at the rank of Lieutenat (JG) he was the boat's "Captain."

If the Captain was relieved of duty, he (she) would cease to be the ship's Captain, and either one of the existing officers would be given command, or a new officer would be placed aboard and given command. If the Captain died, then the next senior line officer would take command.

 

[timmy84]

The captain does more then just sit in the chair and issues commands (just like the XO does more then sit in the chair and issues commands when the Captain isn't around). As a TV show, we of course only ever see the captain in the chair because he needs to be commanding when the dramatic, good for television things start to happen.

 

[tighr]

You might be thinking of the "Officer of the Deck." A ship only has one Captain, and when the Captain leaves the bridge and even leaves the ship (unless relieved) they are still the ship's Captain.

That seems to be mostly a Trek thing, though. In reality, most large ships the size of the Enterprise would have multiple Captains, each in charge of departments. The skipper would either also be a Captain, or possibly an Admiral.

Star Trek (being a TV show, of course) is notoriously inconsistent with designations such as "department head" and "senior staff", notably with Ensign Kim being head of Ops (despite other officers, possibly with more tenure, holding the station in the off-shifts) and Chief O'Brien, who is in fact enlisted. The number of officers vs enlisted is also contrary to actual naval ships. Sure, its the future, so things may have changed (like Roddenberry who believed everyone should be an officer), but that's why I generally liked the TOS films where they featured more enlisted.

In regards to the OP, it would probably be up to the officer in question. If they required the other officers on deck to refer to him/her as Captain, I'm sure he/she would be due that respect. But functionally, they remain their actual rank.

 

[The Wormhole]

So this wouldn't apply if the captain were on the planet's surface, or if the captain was relieved of duty. It would only apply to the officer who was assigned by Starfleet to command the ship?

Yes, whoever is the Starfleet-assigned commanding officer can be referred to as "Captain" regardless of their actual rank. When the actual captain is off the ship or unavailable for whatever reasons, the officer left in command is not referred to as "Captain," just whatever their rank actually is.

 

[RB_Kandy]

So this wouldn't apply if the captain were on the planet's surface, or if the captain was relieved of duty. It would only apply to the officer who was assigned by Starfleet to command the ship?

Yes, whoever is the Starfleet-assigned commanding officer can be referred to as "Captain" regardless of their actual rank. When the actual captain is off the ship or unavailable for whatever reasons, the officer left in command is not referred to as "Captain," just whatever their rank actually is.

So if Janeway finds a ship, and she assigns it a skeleton crew, and for what ever convoluted reason, puts ensign Harry Kim in charge of that ship to complete the mission, Would that force the other officers, even those who are higher than ensign, to call Harry "captain"?

 

[Nerys Myk]

If he is in charge of the ship then they have to follow his orders, regardless of rank. His position supersedes their rank. Higher rank does not mean a higher position in the chain of command or even a place in the chain of command.

 

[Captain Nebula]

So if Janeway finds a ship, and she assigns it a skeleton crew, and for what ever convoluted reason, puts ensign Harry Kim in charge of that ship to complete the mission, Would that force the other officers, even those who are higher than ensign, to call Harry "captain"?

Just like Data was Captain of the Sutherland even though his First Officer was the same 'rank' as Data.

 

[Star Wolf]

So if Janeway finds a ship, and she assigns it a skeleton crew, and for what ever convoluted reason, puts ensign Harry Kim in charge of that ship to complete the mission, Would that force the other officers, even those who are higher than ensign, to call Harry "captain"?

Just like Data was Captain of the Sutherland even though his First Officer was the same 'rank' as Data.

Or Ensign Nog serving under the cadets on the Valiant. Or the entire crew serving under Kirk in the 2009 Star Trek

 

[tighr]

So if Janeway finds a ship, and she assigns it a skeleton crew, and for what ever convoluted reason, puts ensign Harry Kim in charge of that ship to complete the mission, Would that force the other officers, even those who are higher than ensign, to call Harry "captain"?

Just like Data was Captain of the Sutherland even though his First Officer was the same 'rank' as Data.

Or Ensign Nog serving under the cadets on the Valiant. Or the entire crew serving under Kirk in the 2009 Star Trek

Or the aforementioned Harry Kim, in Nightingale. Although, in that episode, no other Starfleet officers were on board, and 7 of 9 is technically a civilian.

 

[The Wormhole]

So this wouldn't apply if the captain were on the planet's surface, or if the captain was relieved of duty. It would only apply to the officer who was assigned by Starfleet to command the ship?

Yes, whoever is the Starfleet-assigned commanding officer can be referred to as "Captain" regardless of their actual rank. When the actual captain is off the ship or unavailable for whatever reasons, the officer left in command is not referred to as "Captain," just whatever their rank actually is.

So if Janeway finds a ship, and she assigns it a skeleton crew, and for what ever convoluted reason, puts ensign Harry Kim in charge of that ship to complete the mission, Would that force the other officers, even those who are higher than ensign, to call Harry "captain"?

If it's just for a specific mission, I'm not sure. But if he were in permanent command of that ship, he would then be referred to as "Captain" even by higher ranking officers.

 

[Star Wolf]

We have the example of Data's command on the Klingon Civil War blockade line. While his First Officer was calling him Commander when Data decided to stop ignoring the diss that the position was worthy of the respect he demands the honorary title of captain.